Martin O'Neill's Celtic are currently preparing to take on Dundee at Parkhead in their opening match of the Scottish Premiership on Monday night.

There could be exciting debuts for Camilo Duran, who scored three goals in three pre-season matches, and Kasper Hogh, who recently joined for a fee in excess of £11m from Bodo/Glimt.

The Hoops have reinforced their attack after losing Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer and selling Daizen Maeda to Premier League side Ipswich Town for a fee of £10m.

That may not be the only area of the squad that has to be strengthened because of exits, though, as they have be forced into the market for new midfielders.

Why Celtic may need to sign new midfielders

Celtic have already rejected two offers from West Ham United for Arne Engels and are holding out for a fee in the region of £25m for the Belgium international, who is also being eyed by RB Leipzig and Premier League clubs.

The 22-year-old star, who scored five goals and provided three assists in the Premiership last term, has been a key player for the Scottish giants and his exit would be a blow for O'Neill.

Engels is not the only central midfielder whose future is up in the air at Parkhead, though, as Reo Hatate informed the club earlier this summer that he would like to explore a move away from Glasgow.

If Engels and Hatate leave the club this summer, O'Neill would only have five senior options to cover three positions across four competitions in the 2026/27 campaign.

The Hoops, therefore, need to be looking to bring in reinforcements into the middle of the park sooner rather than later to ensure that they are not left lacking in the depth department if those two players secure transfers.

Celtic in talks to sign their next Matt O'Riley

Supporters should, now, be pleased to learn that the Premiership champions are looking to sign a player who could be O'Neill's own version of former star Matt O'Riley.

Football Insider reports that Celtic are in advanced talks with Paderborn over a deal to sign central midfielder Mika Baur before the end of the summer transfer window.

The outlet claims that the Germany U21 international is keen on a move to Glasgow and wants the two clubs to agree a deal as soon as possible, so that he can quickly move to the Hoops.

It adds that O'Neill does want reinforcements in the middle of the park and that the 22-year-old whiz has been identified as a top target in midfield.

The German talent, who is valued at more than £4m, could follow in O'Riley's footsteps by joining Celtic to thrive in a team that dominates the ball and is expected to win the league every year.

During his time with MK Dons, the Denmark international scored ten goals and provided eight assists in 54 appearances in all competitions, a return of three games per goal contribution.

Baur has shown similar attacking qualities during his time in Germany, averaging a goal contribution every 1.87 games for Freiburg's U19s, and he averaged one every 3.3 matches with ten goal contributions in 33 2. Bundesliga outings last season.

O'Riley, of course, was able to take the next step in his career by racking up 27 goals and 35 assists in 124 appearances for Celtic, before signing for Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion for £25m in the summer of 2024.

Baur's form at youth level suggests that he has the potential to eventually reach O'Riley's level as both a scorer and a creator of goals on a regular basis, and his current form for Paderborn is in line with what the Dane produced prior to joining Celtic.

Playing in a dominant Hoops side in the Premiership could provide the midfielder with more opportunities to shine at the top end of the pitch, as they control the game and are constantly looking to break down low blocks.

The £4m-rated star, therefore, could be a fantastic signing for the club as a star with O'Riley vibes who could help to replace Engels and Hatate, should they move on from Parkhead in the coming weeks.